The present invention relates to a device for carrying elongated objects, and, more particularly, relates to a hand-held device for carrying skis and poles.
Skis and ski-poles are difficult to transport by hand since their length makes them somewhat cumbersome to carry. This problem is compounded by the fact that several such objects must be transported simultaneously. Various hand-held carriers have been proposed which attempt to solve or at least alleviate these problems. One such carrier is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,665, which issued to J. Covell on Nov. 9, 1976. This device includes a rectangular base member, a handle which is attached to a central portion of the base member via a support member, and a pair of "wings" which are hinged at their lower ends to lateral edges of the base members. When using this device, the user must position the skis between the handle and the wings and then pivot the wings from a substantially horizontal position to a substantially vertical position in which the skis and poles are held between the base member and the wing members. The user then inserts a bar laterally through the wing members and the support member to prevent removal of the skis from the carrier. Then, the user must thread a cable-lock through the bar to prevent the wings from opening and to allow carrying of the device.
While this carrier facilitates insertion and removal of skis, it suffers from several disadvantages which hinder its effectiveness. For example, the skis must be held in place while the wings are pivoted into position. Moreover, both wings must be held in place while the bar is inserted through the wings. These operations require considerable dexterity since the user must simultaneously position or hold the carrier and insert the skis within the device. Both hands are also required to close and lock the carrier. Moreover, the carrier is essentially useless without the cable lock since it cannot be carried unless the lock holds the wings in place.